Department for Transport

M20: Repairs and Maintenance

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the progress of road works on the M20 between Junctions 3 and 6; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Work to upgrade the M20 between junctions 3 and 5 to a smart motorway began in March 2018. The scheme is estimated to be open for traffic in March 2020. The main construction milestones for the M20 smart motorway scheme are on track to be met. These include works within the verge and central reserve to be completed by the end of November 2019.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Metals: Technology

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's strategic supply of technology metals (a) currently and (b) after the UK leaves the EU for the purpose of implementing the industrial strategy.

Richard Harrington: The UK Government believes that the best approach to ensuring sufficient supply of materials is through free, fair and open global markets. As the Prime Minister has stated, what we want to do is to ensure that we promote the greatest possible trade with the whole world. In the context of the EU, that means keeping trade frictionless at the border. The BEIS Ministerial team and I, together with our officials, are in regular discussions with UK manufacturers to implement the Industrial Strategy.

Offshore Industry: Climate Change

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the compatibility between the Oil and Gas Authority's remit of maximising revenues from oil and gas recovery and (a) the Government's decarbonisation commitments under the Paris Agreement and (b) the recommendations of the IPCC on the speed of decarbonisation required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

Claire Perry: Oil and gas will continue to play an important role as part of the energy mix for decades to come. We are committed to reducing carbon emissions form 1990 levels by 80% by 2050 and any emission from use of oil or gas will be included in our binding carbon budgets As we continue to move to a low carbon economy we need to ensure we have a balanced energy mix, so that we have a reliable, clean and affordable energy system. This means that in the medium term there will be a role for oil and gas; over 85% of the population currently use gas for heating and around 65% for cooking, with UK Continental Shelf oil and gas production still equivalent to around half of demand. We are leading the world in our response to the special report on global warming of 1.5°C – commissioning the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) for their advice on the implications of the Paris Agreement for the UK’s long-term emissions reduction targets, just one week after its publication. As part of this, we have requested that they provide evidence on how reductions in line with the CCC’s recommendations might be delivered in key sectors of the economy and we will consider their advice carefully when it is received.

Carbon Budgets: Offshore Industry

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the development of the Alligin oil field will be included in the UK's carbon budget.

Claire Perry: We are committed to reducing carbon emissions from 1990 levels by 80% by 2050 and any emission from use of oil or gas will be included in our binding carbon budgets.As we continue to move to a low carbon economy we need to ensure we have a balanced energy mix so we have a reliable, clean and affordable energy system. This means that in the medium term there will be a role for some fossil fuels.Greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of the UK’s economy are taken into account when assessing our performance against carbon budgets. This includes emissions from offshore oil and gas production sites on the UK Continental Shelf.

Offshore Industry: Oil

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the oil to be extracted from the Alligin oil field will be (a) used in domestic markets or (b) exported.

Claire Perry: The Alligin field is due to start production in 2020, with the crude oil produced sold on the international market and therefore available for both export and domestic consumption depending on prevailing market conditions and commercial considerations. Trading oil on the international market is the best way to ensure reliable and affordable supplies for UK consumers. The Government remains committed to ensuring the UK gets the maximum economic benefit from its oil and gas reserves.

Chemicals: EU Law

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of any potential increase in red tape from the proposed associate status of the EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & restriction of Chemicals programme after the UK leaves the EU.

Richard Harrington: The detail of the UK’s association to the EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & restriction of Chemicals programme after the UK leaves the EU is part of ongoing negotiations. The UK and the EU have a mutual interest in maintaining our integrated chemical supply chains as the chemicals industry is an economically significant sector in both regions, and it underpins key downstream sectors including automotive, aerospace, construction and pharmaceuticals. In the White Paper on our future relationship with the European Union published in July, the UK has proposed that chemicals are part of a UK-EU free trade area on goods, with continued UK participation in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) underpinning this arrangement. This proposal is part of ongoing negotiation.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Equality

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many projects funded his Department are focused on gender equality programmes.

Mark Field: ​The FCO's departmental allocation supports a range of programme work supporting policy priorities including gender equality. Within this area, there is a particular focus on Women, Peace and Security, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Girls' Education and LGBT rights. The programme is agile and adaptive so the number of projects is not static.In addition, the Commonwealth Fund operated by the FCO 2018-2020 funds two two-year programmes: the network of Women Mediators across the Commonwealth (£1.6m) and a programme to provide support to Commonwealth governments looking to reform legislation that disproportionately affects women and girls and LGBT people (£5.6m).FCO arms-length bodies, such as the British Council, the BBC World Service, and the Chevening Scholarships Programme, also support gender equality. The FCO's delivery of programmes under the NSC's larger Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) also contribute to gender equality. All ODA programmes comply with the International Development (Gender Equality) Act (2014).

Burma: Rohingya

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government plans to support the imposition of trade sanctions on the state of Myanmar as a result of alleged war crimes being committed by its military on the Rohingya people.

Mark Field: ​The British Government does not support the introduction of trade sanctions at this stage. Placing targeted sanctions on companies or sectors risks disrupting Burma's financial system and harming economic development across Burma and the livelihoods of vulnerable people. The UK will continue to look at all available options to ensure accountability, in cooperation with our EU and international partners.

Burma: War Crimes

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will draft a resolution at the UN Security Council granting the ICC leave to investigate and prosecute alleged war crimes in Myanmar.

Mark Field: ​The Foreign Secretary has made clear that referring the situation in Burma to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an option the UN Security Council (UNSC) should consider. The UK ensured the Head of the UN Fact Finding Mission was able to brief the UNSC on 24 October to inform the Council's discussions. However, our assessment remains that there is insufficient support amongst Security Council members for an ICC referral at this time. It will not advance the cause of accountability for an ICC referral to fail to win Security Council support or to be vetoed; such a result would only give comfort to the Burmese military and reduce the pressure they currently face.

Yemen: Human Rights

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise the findings and recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council Group of Eminent Experts Report on Yemen with his counterparts in (a) Saudi Arabia, (b) the United Arab Emirates and (c) the Yemeni Government.

Alistair Burt: The British Government believes that it is important to give the Group of Eminent Experts more time to fully examine the conflict and to ensure that their conclusions accurately reflect the conduct of all parties in future reporting. We have raised its findings with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It is clear that many incidents and alleged violations committed by all parties have not yet been fully documented, particularly those committed by Houthis. For these reasons, in September 2018 we supported the renewal of the existing mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts for a further year.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the actions agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018.

Alistair Burt: Further to my answer to PQ 162458, the UK continues to work with the three pillars of the Commonwealth – the Commonwealth Secretariat, its member states, and its people to people networks – to deliver on commitments set out in the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) communique. For example;Member states have increased cooperation in international organisations. In Geneva, the UK hosted a meeting of Commonwealth Permanent Representatives to discuss multilateral issues in advance of the Human Rights Council. New Zealand has hosted a similar Commonwealth meeting to discuss issues relating to the World Trade Organisation. In New York, it has been agreed that Commonwealth members of the UN Security Council will regularly brief other Commonwealth countries in Security Council business.The Prime Minister included a passage on the Commonwealth in her speech to the UN General Assembly. She spoke explicitly as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office on behalf of the Heads of Government of 53 Commonwealth countries – over a quarter of the UN membership – to reaffirm their shared shared commitment to work together within a rules based international system to address shared global challenges.The UK and Ghana convened the inaugural meeting of the Commonwealth-led Digital Finance Champions Group in Accra on 26 September. The initiative will drive the use of secure and inclusive digital finance, especially for vulnerable and underbanked people.The Commonwealth Standards Network launched in Geneva on 26 September. The network aims to boost trade between Commonwealth member states by increasing the use of existing international standards. The network will allow member states to share knowledge and enable the creation of vital links between our economies.Following the lead of Commonwealth Heads of Government, 152 countries have now endorsed the joint statement calling on states to leave no girl behind, and provide opportunity for at least 12 years of quality education for all girls and boys.Following its launch in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, over 1,300 women entrepreneurs have registered with 'SheTrades Commonwealth'. The Programme aims to increase economic growth and job creation by enabling the increased participation of women-owned businesses in international trade.Guyana has become the first country to partner with the UK funded Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme to develop a Maritime Economy Plan. The Programme aims to support the sustainable growth and development of 17 Commonwealth Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean and Pacific.Twenty countries, over a third of the Commonwealth, have now signed up to the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance – the Blue Charter Action Group co-chaired by the UK and Vanuatu to tackle marine plastic pollution. During her visit to Africa in September, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would make up to an additional £5 million available to provide technical assistance to developing countries that join the initiative.The Prime Minister also announced a Young Leaders Plastic Challenge Badge, working in partnership with UN Environment, Scouts and Girl Guides, to help an estimated 50,000 young people in Kenya and two further African countries to become leaders in raising awareness about the importance of reducing plastic consumption.In support of the Commonwealth Cyber Declaration, the UK has partnered with the World Bank to deliver national cyber security capacity reviews in 11 member states. With support from Oxford University's Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre and Australia's Oceania Centre, we are now well placed to meet the commitment for every Commonwealth country to voluntarily undertake reviews by CHOGM 2020.

Afghanistan: Human Rights and Religious Freedom

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Afghan counterpart on human rights and religious freedom in that country.

Mark Field: The UK works closely with the National Unity Government, civil society and the international community to promote the development of human rights in Afghanistan. This continues to be a priority for the UK. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of Afghanistan, including the need to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups in line with the constitution. The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. I publicly condemned the 1 July attack on a group of Sikhs and Hindus in Jalalabad as “a despicable attack on Afghanistan’s historic Sikh and Hindu community”.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many experts recruited under the prevention of sexual violence initiative are deployed to the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Mark Field: Six members of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts have been deployed to Bangladesh to date by this Department in support of survivors of sexual violence among Rohingya refugees. These experts have been deployed, for example, build the capacity of others, including through training on gathering and preserving evidence of sexual violence in line with the International Protocol on Investigation and Documentation of Sexual Violence in Conflict. There are 37 people in the PSVI Team of Experts, who have a range of skills, such as Criminal Lawyers, Gender Based Violence Experts and International Investigating Officers. However, they do not themselves collect evidence or investigate sexual violence, since gathering evidence without a mandate may damage prospects of successful prosecutions. These deployments form part of the UK’s wider £129 million humanitarian response to the crisis.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Sexual Offences

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo on (a) changes in the level of documented cases of sexual violence in that country in 2017 and (b) the number of those cases attributed to the Congolese armed forces and police.

Harriett Baldwin: The British Government is committed to preventing sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UK is concerned by the number of cases of sexual violence attributed to Congolese state actors. At the June 2018 UN Human Rights Council, we signed a resolution mandating an independent investigation into all human rights abuses in DRC, including sexual violence and those attributed to state actors. We also fund TRIAL International, who fight against impunity from sexual violence crimes, including bringing parliamentarians and those in the security sector to account. TRIAL International played a key role in the Kavumu trial in 2017, where 11 members of a militia were found guilty.

Sexual Offences

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason the UK does not contribute to the UN trust fund for victims of sexual violence; and whether he plans to review that decision.

Mark Field: The UN does not have a specific trust fund for victims of sexual violence. With regard to the UN’s Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse was established by the Secretary General in March 2016 to provide greater support to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN and related personel. We are studying the Fund’s effectiveness and whether it provides adequate support for victims of sexual violence before taking a decision on whether to contribute. The UK is committed to ending sexual exploitation and abuse by those who are entrusted with protecting some of the most vulnerable people in the world. That is why we have committed around $3m to supporting the UN’s work on this issue since 2016, and wholeheartedly support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to tackle this issue robustly. The UK’s Safeguarding conference in October was an important milestone in advancing the international effort to eradicate sexual exploitation and abuse within the international development sector

China: Animal Products

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Chinese government on that government's decision to legalise the use of products derived from (a) tigers and (b) rhinoceros horn in medical centres.

Mark Field: The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to protect endangered animals from unsustainable trade. We hosted a high level conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in London in October, and at that conference China co-hosted a session on combatting the ivory trade following their introduction of a domestic ivory ban. We are aware of China’s recent adjustment to their 1993 legislation on tiger and rhino products, and are actively seeking a meeting with the relevant department in the Chinese Government to discuss the matter.

Korea: Nuclear Weapons

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is his policy to support the inclusion of Mongolia in the six-party talks on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Mark Field: Six-party talks have not taken place since 2009. There are however ongoing talks between the US and North Korea, and talks between South and North Korea, in which North Korea has committed to work towards complete denuclearisation. We now want to see North Korea take decisive steps to fulfil that commitment as required by multiple UN Security Council Resolutions. There is no immediate prospect of six-party talks resuming but if that situation were to change and all the parties involved supported the inclusion of Mongolia we would have no objection.​

Mongolia: Human Rights and Poverty

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the government of Mongolia on (a) the protection of human rights and (b) the reduction in the level of poverty in that country.

Mark Field: ​As Minister for Asia and the Pacific, I met with several Cabinet Ministers during my visit to Mongolia in July and with a delegation of Mongolian parliamentarians this month. During these meetings I highlighted the importance Mongolia plays as a democratic role model for other developing countries in Asia and beyond. The country has made significant progress since the peaceful revolution that overthrew its Soviet system almost thirty years ago. I also discussed the contribution the UK is making towards Mongolia’s economic growth, primarily through Rio Tinto’s major investment in the world-class Oyu Tolgoi mine, but also through our programmes in the environment and education sectors. Sustaining this growth will be critical to eradicating poverty in Mongolia in the coming years.

Burma: Rohingya

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the statements by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations at the Security Council Briefing on Burma of 24 October 2018, what information he has on the timetable for the Burmese domestic commission of inquiry into the events that took place in Rakhine State.

Mark Field: ​On 16 August the Chair of the Commission of Inquiry announced that it would present its findings to Burmese President Win Myint within a year. I underlined to Burma's Minister for International Cooperation on 1 November that the Commission of Inquiry needs to be independent and credible, draw on all available evidence and lead to a judicial process. The UK will continue to work with international partners to press the Burmese Government to ensure that our concerns are addressed.

Burma: Rohingya

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the safety and wellbeing of Rohingya refugees of the deal between Myanmar and Bangladesh to start repatriating those refugees.

Mark Field: The UK shares UNHCR's assessment that conditions in northern Rakhine State are not currently conducive to refugees returning safely and in dignity. I called the Bangladeshi State Minister of Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and Burmese Minister for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin on 1 November to stress the UK's serious concern at their Governments' announcement on 30 October that refugee repatriation would commence in mid-November. The UK will continue to make representations underlining the importance of a safe, voluntary and dignified return for refugees.

Burma: Rohingya

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has held with UN representatives on the agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

Mark Field: ​Since the 30 October announcement by the Governments of Bangladesh and Burma on repatriation of refugees, officials at the British Embassy in Burma and the British High Commission in Bangladesh have spoken with senior members of the respective UN country offices about the UK's concerns regarding premature returns. A senior DFID official reinforced these messages with UNHCR's Director for Asia on 2 November, calling on UNHCR not to support returns unless they were safe, dignified and voluntary.

Burma: Rohingya

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will formally support a referral of Myanmar military leaders to the International Criminal Court for their actions against the Rohingya people.

Mark Field: ​The Foreign Secretary has made clear that referring the situation in Burma to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an option the UN Security Council (UNSC) should consider. The UK ensured the Head of the UN Fact Finding Mission was able to brief the UNSC on 24 October to inform the Council's discussions. However, our assessment remains that there is insufficient support amongst Security Council members for an ICC referral at this time. It will not advance the cause of accountability for an ICC referral to fail to win Security Council support or to be vetoed; such a result would only give comfort to the Burmese military and reduce the pressure they currently face.

Religious Discrimination: Victims

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of reconciliation schemes for victimised religious minorities throughout the world which absolve persecuting individuals and institutions from blame or criminal prosecution.

Mark Field: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made any recent assessment along the specific lines in the question.

Kenya and Uganda: Financial Institutions

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the October 2018 report by The Sentry entitled The Profiteers: documentary shines new light on South Sudan's neighbours' role in the conflict, what steps his department is taking to improve the capacity of financial regulatory bodies in (a) Kenya and (b) Uganda.

Harriett Baldwin: Addressing the corruption that enables the conflict in South Sudan is crucial for tackling the culture of impunity that prevails. We welcome the recent release of the documentary The Profiteers, which will help to raise the international profile of this important issue. The British Government continues to work closely with regional partners, including Kenya and Uganda, international financial institutions, and other British Government departments to address the illicit financial flows fuelling the conflict in South Sudan, and to clamp down on corruption and money laundering. We continue to raise the importance of tackling illicit financial flows through all our engagement at Ministerial and senior official level.

Sudan: Journalism and Radio

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has allocated (a) funding and (b) other support to (i) independent journalism and (ii) Radio Dabanga in Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: We do not currently fund any media outlets in Sudan. The British Government has made clear our expectation that freedom of expression and of the media must be respected in Sudan. We continue to discuss this issue at senior levels with the Government of Sudan.

China: North Korea

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the trade dispute between the Governments of the United States and China on the implementation by China of UN sanctions against North Korea.

Mark Field: ​We do not believe US-China trade relations are currently impacting on international implementation of UN sanctions on North Korea. It is the shared duty of all UN Member States to strictly enforce the UN measures, agreed unanimously under ten UN Security Council resolutions. As North Korea's largest trading partner, China's ongoing enforcement of UN sanctions is key. US and China trade relations should remain a separate issue.

China: North Korea

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) China and (b) North Korea on the talks held between the leaders of those countries in Beijing on 18 June 2018; and what information his Department holds on the outcomes of those talks.

Mark Field: ​The Foreign Secretary speaks to Foreign Minister Wang Yi on a regular basis. He last discussed North Korea with him during the UN General Assembly on 24th September. He urged China to continue to press North Korea to take concrete actions to denuclearise, and to strictly enforce sanctions on North Korea until complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation has been achieved. He has not had any interaction with my North Korean counterpart.

North Korea: Oil

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterpart in North Korea on recent imports of crude oil to that country in excess of the maximum levels permitted by UN Security Council Resolution 2375.

Mark Field: ​The UK, alongside like-minded partners, is actively working with the international community on the urgent and comprehensive enforcement of UN measures, including the crude oil cap, through the UN Security Council, the EU, and our wider diplomatic network. We continue to have concerns about the amount of refined petroleum imported by North Korea.

Indonesia: Vaccination

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Indonesian Government on increasing child immunisation rates for diseases such as measles in West Papua.

Mark Field: Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. During these visits they press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate concerns and ensure the sustainable and equitable development of the province. This includes access to healthcare.

Cameroon: Human Rights

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason human rights abuses in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions was not on the agenda during the UK presidency of the United Nations Security Council in August 2018.

Harriett Baldwin: The British Government is following events in Cameroon very closely and we are deeply concerned at the state of affairs. As a permanent member, the UK reserves the right to call to the United Nations Security Council's attention any situation that threatens international peace and security. The UK is active in promoting human rights in Cameroon and uses other international fora to raise such issues. We are engaging with the Government of Cameroon, opposition leaders, community leaders, the military and civil society. We are calling for restraint and an end to the violence on all sides.

Sri Lanka: Administration of Justice

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the implementation of the transitional justice mechanisms set out in UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1.

Mark Field: During my visit to Colombo in October 2018, I raised with Foreign Minister Marapana the importance of the Sri Lankan government implementing in full its commitments under UN Human Rights Council Resolution 34/1, and 30/1. I encouraged accelerated progress towards fulfilling these commitments, including the return of military-held private land, and the development of new counter-terrorism legislation in line with international human rights standards.Lord Ahmad spoke at the September opening of the Human Rights Council in Geneva encouraging further implementation of Sri Lanka's commitments within the areas of devolution through constitutional reform, truth-seeking and accountability.Further progress has been made by the Government of Sri Lanka passing of a bill on reparations in October and we look forward to its implementation in the near future.The UK is committed to the full implementation of Resolution 34/1 and will continue to support the Government of Sri Lanka in its efforts to promote reconciliation and human rights. The UK is also providing Sri Lanka with £7.9 million of Conflict, Stability and Security Fund funding over three years, to include support for police reform and training, reconciliation and peace building, and demining in the north of the country.

Department of Health and Social Care

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the use of pilot programmes to demonstrate the value of rapid diagnostics in tackling antimicrobial resistance.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a nationally mandated optimal blood cultures pathway.

Steve Brine: The Government is committed to improving the use of diagnostic tools and tests in support of our ambitions on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). NHS England leads a programme of work focused on diagnostics and AMR. As part of this programme, it established the United Kingdom AMR Diagnostic Collaborative (UK ADC). The UK ADC is working with system partners to support clinical decision making and appropriate prescribing of antibiotics. This work includes clarity about which tests should be undertaken along with system alignment around available quality standards. Whilst we recognise the challenges presented by the lack of clinical trial data for rapid diagnostic testing, the United Kingdom’s upcoming five-year national action plan on AMR will include actions to address these challenges and support the uptake of rapid diagnostics. The UK ADC is also undertaking a focussed piece of work with key partners to gain a system wide understanding of current practice relating to the blood culture pathway which will enable the UK ADC and key partners to develop mechanisms to improve services.

Gambling: Rehabilitation

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has allocated to (a) support and (b) treat people who indicate they are addicted to gambling or have suffered gambling related harm in (i) 2018-19 and (ii) 2017-18.

Steve Brine: Decisions on the commissioning of effective treatment services are the responsibility of local commissioners, based on an assessment of local need. Information on funding allocated to gambling related services is not held centrally. There are a range of services available to people with a gambling addiction, details of which can be found on the NHS Choices website at the following link: www.nhs.uk/Livewell/addiction/Pages/gamblingaddiction.aspx

NHS: Drugs

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2018 to Question 169109 on Drugs, on what date during the financial planning process for 2019-20 the level of funding will be determined.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2018 to Question 169109 on drugs, what level of funding NHS England has proposed for the financial planning process for products undergoing review by the prioritisation process in 2019-20.

Steve Brine: The 2019/20 allocations are to be presented to NHS England’s Board on 28 November 2018. After the overall allocation has been formally agreed by the Board, the distribution of the allocated funding will be agreed; this will include the level of the 2019/20 funding envelope for treatments going through the relative prioritisation process. Confirmation of the level of funding is anticipated in late December 2018.

Clinical Priorities Advisory Group

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 May 2018 to Question 142774 on Clinical Priorities Advisory Group, what progress has been made by NHS England on the development of the new pilot assurance process to assess whether new treatments are being equitably provided to patients across England.

Steve Brine: NHS England is currently working with a selection of providers and commissioners to understand what local areas have put in place to effectively implement clinical policies. Following the discussions NHS England will consider what may be needed to support effective policy implementation.

Tuberous Sclerosis: Everolimus

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure thta the Tuberous Sclerosis Association is able to submit evidence on behalf of (a) patients and (b) families to NHS England’s specialised commissioning relative prioritisation process assessment of everolimus for refractory epilepsy related to tuberous sclerosis complex.

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what processes are in place to ensure that NHS England’s clinical priorities advisory group receives the views of (a) patients and (b) patient families as part of the specialised commissioning relative prioritisation process.

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what status NHS England’s clinical priorities advisory group confers on evidence that has (a) not been published in an academic journal, (b) been presented at an academic conference and (c) resulted from clinical trials during the specialised commissioning relative prioritisation process.

Steve Brine: Patients and the public have already been given the opportunity to submit peer reviewed, published evidence regarding Everolimus as part of a public consultation held before the last prioritisation round in May 2018. An engagement report which summarised the views submitted was considered by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) as part of their deliberations. The Tuberous Sclerosis Association (TSA) submitted a response to this consultation. A summary of their response was included in the consultation report provided to the CPAG, and was reviewed as part of the stakeholder testing and consultation feedback which the policy working group consider as part of the policy development process. However, the TSA’s response was not included in the clinical evidence summary submitted to NHS England by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for clinical panel review, as NHS England’s published protocols require that only peer reviewed and published clinical evidence can be included in the evidence review. This is so that all policy propositions can be fairly and objectively considered against each other, based on evidence that has been independently reviewed and validated. If CPAG members wish to have further information, such as the detailed consultation responses, there is a complete library pack to review as appropriate. NHS England met with the Tuberous Sclerosis Association at a stakeholder surgery on 25 September to discuss the outcome of the prioritisation round and to explain the next steps.

Breast Cancer

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what responsibility clinical commissioning groups have for funding family history clinics for people with a family history of breast cancer.

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of family history clinics for people with a family history of breast cancer across England.

Steve Brine: As set out in the Manual for Prescribed Specialised Services 2018/19, NHS England commissions inherited cancer services. This includes genetic testing for inherited cancer through the Genomic Laboratory Hubs and the genetic clinical service through the Regional Clinical Genetics Services. NHS England does not hold data on access to family history clinics for people with a family history of breast cancer across England.

Fruit: Contamination

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of fruit contamination in Australia on UK consumers.

Steve Brine: We are aware of the reported concerns in Australia around needles in strawberries and metal in bananas. Based on the information available we do not consider this to be a food safety issue in the United Kingdom. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of prescriptions were issued to people using a prepayment certificate in England in (a) 2017 and (b) the latest period for which information is available.

Steve Brine: The information is not available in the format requested.

Health Services: Expenditure

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of NHS England’s outturn expenditure against its £25 million budget for discretionary investment in specialised services in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.

Steve Brine: NHS England’s outturn expenditure against its £25 million budget for discretionary investment in specialised services is not separately identified within the overall specialised commissioning spend. Therefore, no estimate can be made on actual spend on the discretionary investments approved for specialised services for 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Meningitis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with relevant organisations and bodies on how they plan to (a) respond to and (b) implement the recommendations set out in the Meningococcal Working Group report.

Steve Brine: On 29 June 2018, the previous Secretary of State (the Rt. hon. Jeremy Hunt MP) wrote to all the organisations who were identified to take forward the recommendations in the report by the Meningococcal Working Group to confirm what actions they will take in response. Organisations were asked to respond by the end of September. We are currently considering the responses and plan to publish a summary of responses in due course.

Medical Treatments

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what relative priority he attaches to non-trial evidence compared to evidence from randomised clinical trials to inform NICE and NHS commissioning guidance.

Steve Brine: The way in which the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assesses and prioritises evidence is set out in the methods and processes for each of its work programmes. The NICE guideline development manual outlines the different types of evidence NICE looks at and how it is reviewed in a systematic transparent way, including observational and real-world evidence. A copy of ‘Developing NICE guidelines: the manual’ is attached. 



Developing NICE guidelines the manual
(PDF Document, 1.62 MB)

Wales Office

Wales Office: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in relation to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

Nigel Adams: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has spent nothing on consultancy fees in relation to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

Department for Education

Sixth Form Education: Children in Care

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children and care leavers went on to key stage 5 in 2016-17.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information requested is not held centrally.The number of care leavers aged 17 and 18 years old who were in education other than higher education in the year ending 31 March 2017, was 4,610. Information on care leavers aged 17 and 18 years old was collected for the first time for the year ending 31 March 2016 and is published as experimental statistics.These figures were published in 2017 in table F3 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 (SFR 50/2017)’ at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.Education other than higher education means all studies excluding degrees, diplomas in higher education, teaching and nursing qualifications, HNDs, ONDs, and BTEC levels 4-5, all of which fall under the category higher education.

Further Education: Refugees

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support further education and sixth form colleges receive for students who entered the UK via the Syrian Children's Resettlement Scheme.

Anne Milton: The government considers refugees, who entered the UK via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme or the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme, eligible for funding on the same basis for 16-19 study programmes as all other eligible students. In addition, the department provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds, in particular the 16-19 bursary fund, to help with the education related costs associated with staying in post-16 education such as travel and course equipment. These programmes aim to enable 16 to 19 year olds to participate whatever their financial situation, and are available to refugee students who meet the qualifying criteria for each scheme.

Arts and Design: GCSE

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students in (a) state funded schools and (b) independent schools studied (i) art and design, (ii) design and technology, (iii) drama, (iv) media, film and TV studies, (v) music and (vi) performing and expressive arts subjects to GCSE level in each of the last eight years.

Nick Gibb: The number of pupils, at the end of their key stage 4 study, entering each of the requested arts subjects in state-funded schools in the last eight years can be found in the attached table. The number of pupils, at the end of their key stage 4 study, entering each of the requested arts subjects in independent schools in the last eight years can also be found in the attached table. We have reformed GCSEs so that they are in line with expected standards in countries with high performing education systems. The level of demand in the new arts GCSEs more consistently and rigorously assesses the knowledge and skills acquired by pupils during key stage 4.



186431_table_pupils_arts_ks4
(PDF Document, 428.74 KB)

Department for Education: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

Anne Milton: The department has not spent money on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the European Union.

Schools: Insulation

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in England and Wales of any height are estimated to have combustible (a) cladding and (b) insulation.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally. Following the Grenfell tragedy, the Department contacted all bodies responsible for safety in school buildings in England. They were instructed to carry out checks to identify any buildings which had aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding of potential concern, so that they could be further investigated, and any risks were managed and dealt with appropriately and promptly. This work focussed on identifying buildings over 18 metres or with residential accommodation with ACM. The Department has identified just one school over 18 metres with ACM cladding. This school has already taken remedial action. The Government attaches the highest priority to the safety of pupils and staff in schools. The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to implement the ban on the use of combustible cladding on new residential buildings over 18 metres, including residential schools and student accommodation. More widely, we will continue to work across Government to take forward the findings from the Hackitt Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.Schools are, in general, very safe environments in this regard as they are typically occupied during the daytime and have multiple exit routes. In addition, all schools must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including having an up-to-date fire risk assessment and conducting regular fire drills. The position for Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.

Children: Social Services

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference paragraph 5.18 of Budget 2018, how his Department will determine which local authorities receive funding for the children's social care improvement pilot schemes.

Nadhim Zahawi: We will be investing £84 million over the next five years to support a number of local authorities who are struggling with issues of performance and demand. This targeted fund will support up to 20 local authorities to improve their social work practice and decision-making, enabling them to work more effectively with the most vulnerable children and their families. This investment will build on the lessons learned from promising innovation programmes in Hertfordshire, Leeds and North Yorkshire, which have supported more children to stay safely at home. We will work closely with local authorities and other sector partners between now and April to determine how best to allocate the funding.

Teachers: Qualifications

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of students in London schools taught by unqualified teachers in each year since 2012.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally. The Department collects pupil numbers from the pupil census ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ and teacher numbers from the School Workforce Census ‘School Workforce in England’, but does not hold information on what pupils were taught by which teachers, qualified or unqualified.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Suffolk

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of court closures in (a) Bury St Edmunds and (b) Lowestoft on access to justice in Suffolk.

Rory Stewart: In deciding that the underused magistrates’ courts in Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft should close, the Lord Chancellor was satisfied that effective access to justice would be maintained in Suffolk with an alternative provision arrangement in place in Bury St Edmunds. This continues to be our assessment now that the courts have closed. The alternative provision allows non-imprisonable magistrates’ cases and family proceedings to continue to be heard in the Bury St Edmunds County Court and Tribunal building (Triton House) and videoconferencing facilities are also available for the use of parties in criminal proceedings. The workload of Bury St Edmunds Magistrates’ Court not suitable for the alternative provision facility has primarily moved to Ipswich, with some work heard in Norwich. Family hearings can also be accommodated at Cambridge Magistrates’ and Family Court. The workload of Lowestoft Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Family Court has been relocated to Ipswich, Great Yarmouth and Norwich.

Pakistan: Prisoners

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress he has made on the restoration of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Pakistan.

Rory Stewart: A Prisoner Transfer Agreement is in place to enable Pakistani nationals to voluntarily transfer from the UK during their prison sentence so that they continue to serve their sentence in Pakistan (and vice versa for British nationals imprisoned in Pakistan). Prisoner transfers are, however, currently suspended due to the corrupt release of prisoners transferred to Pakistan in 2010. The Government of Pakistan has since taken action to return the corruptly released prisoners to custody and has prosecuted those involved. Work is underway with the new Government of Pakistan to resolve the issues presented by the corrupt releases and restart transfers with appropriate safeguards in place. In the meantime, Pakistani nationals continue to be deported from the UK following completion of their prison sentences.

Legal Aid Scheme

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps, excluding the provision of legal aid, his Department is taking to widen access to justice for (a) individuals and (b) small businesses.

Rory Stewart: The Government is currently undertaking a post-implementation review of the impact of the legal aid changes made under Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), and remains committed to publishing the findings by the end of this year. This comprehensive, evidence-based review will be used as an opportunity to inform our wider consideration on the future of legal support for those engaged in the justice system. We are also investing over £1bn to modernise the justice system, introducing 21st Century technology, online services and digital working, while making sure justice remains accessible.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence and Self-harm

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of (a) self harm, (b) violence against prisoners and (c) violence against prison staff per 100 prisoners there were in each prison in each of the last five years.

Rory Stewart: The tables show the numbers of self-harm incidents, assault incidents on prisoners, and assault incidents on staff, per 100 prisoners, for each prison from 2013 to 2017 inclusive. The Government takes very seriously its responsibility to keep prisoners safe, and we are committed to reducing the incidence of self-harm across the estate. This is why we have established a prison safety programme through which we are taking forward a comprehensive set of actions to improve safety in custody. We have invested in over 3,000 additional staff in order to deliver consistent, purposeful regimes. We have also introduced the new key worker role, under which staff can give prisoners more effective challenge and support. Our prison staff work incredibly hard and we are under no illusions about the challenges they face. We are taking urgent action to make prisons safer, and assaults on our staff will never be tolerated. That is why we are working with the Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure successful prosecutions of those who assault them. It is also why the Government supported the recently passed Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act, which increases sentences for those who attack emergency workers, including prison officers.

Department for International Trade

EU External Trade: Trade Agreements

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the article entitled UK has rolled over only 14 of 236 EU International Treaties published by the Financial Times on 29 October 2018, how many of the EU free trade agreements the Government has secured agreement to replicate.

George Hollingbery: As an EU Member State, the UK currently participates in around 40 free trade agreements. The Government continues to seek continuity for the effects of these agreements as we leave the EU.

Department for International Trade: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

George Hollingbery: The Department for International Trade (DIT) was created in July 2016 following the result of the EU referendum and was specifically established as part of the government's EU exit strategy. Given the Department's objectives it is not possible to identify which elements of these are specifically related to EU Exit.The amount spent on consultancy, which relates to the provision of objective advice to the Department relating to strategy, structure, management or operations in pursuit of its purposes and objectives is published in DIT's annual report and accounts and can be accessed using the following link.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018

World Trade Organisation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what preparations have been made for the level of representation the UK will require at the World Trade Organisation after the UK has left the EU.

George Hollingbery: I refer my Hon. Friend for Romford to the answers I gave to the Hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington on 29 October 2018, UIN: 182665 and on 9 November 2018, UIN: 186919.

World Trade Organisation

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Written Question 182665 on Department for International Trade: World Trade Organisation, how many additional (a) permanent staff and (b) representatives at the World Trade Organisation have been recruited to the UK Mission in Geneva at the World Trade Organisation in preparation for the UK’s independent trade policy; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of recruiting those additional staff.

George Hollingbery: Since the Referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union the Government has recruited, or is in the process of recruiting, 13 additional members of staff to work on economic issues at the UK Mission in Geneva, including the UK’s engagement in the World Trade Organization. Staff were recruited either internally from the Civil Service or locally in Geneva. All recruitment was carried out in-house by existing government HR teams and the specific costs attributable for the recruitment for these positions at the UK Mission are not readily available. There was no recruitment (or advertising) through external suppliers. We continue to keep the level of staffing at the UK Mission under review.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Migration Impacts Fund

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reinstating the Migration Impact Fund.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We launched the Controlling Migration Fund in October 2016, with £100 million available over four years, to provide additional support to local areas that are facing pressure as a result of recent migration. To date we have funded £74 million.The deadline for bids from local authorities for a share of the remaining £26 million in the Fund was 1 October 2018. My officials are assessing the applications that were submitted and successful projects will be announced in the new year. We will consider how best to continue to provide support for areas in response to the impacts of recent migration as part of the next Spending Review.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the gender balance percentage is of full-time permanent contract staff in his Department.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the gender balance percentage is of temporary contract staff in his Department.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The estimated gender balance percentages for Ministry of Defence civilian employees, as at 31 October 2018, are provided in the following table: Contract TypesPermanent Contract, Civilian Employees (Full-Time Only)Temporary Contract Civilian Employees (Full-Time and Part-Time)GenderMaleFemaleMaleFemalePercentage63.936.160.139.9

Ministry of Defence: Females

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many women were employed in his Department in each year since 2000.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The total number of female civilian employees in the Ministry of Defence in each year since 2004 is provided in the following table: Year (as at 1 April)Female Civilian Headcount200431,390200531,220200629,760200727,980200826,130200925,440201025,330201124,220201220,190201318,350201418,090201518,280201618,070201718,680201818,990   The total number of female Regular personnel in the Armed Forces in each year since 2000 is provided in the following table: Year (as at 1 April)Female Regular Armed Forces Headcount200016,550200116,690200217,040200317,920200418,390200518,160200617,870200717,670200817,610200917,850201018,320201117,850201217,370201316,610201415,840201515,550201615,380201715,230201815,270 Figures exclude Gurkhas.

Ministry of Defence: Equality

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many projects funded by his Department are focused on gender equality programmes.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: As the Secretary of State for Defence announced in October 2018, all roles in the military have now been opened to women. In addition, the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Act 2018, which received Royal Assent in February 2018, enables Service personnel to apply for flexible service. Secondary legislation and preparation for project implementation is under way with the launch planned for April 2019. These changes pave the way to a greater mix of working arrangements and are expected to increase the diversity of our Armed Forces and build on our reputation as an equal opportunities employer.Defence is dedicated to achieving a more diverse workforce and is undertaking a wide range of activities to increase the number of female recruits into the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are working towards a target of 15% female recruitment by 2020. This challenging target reflects the importance Defence places on having Armed Forces that better reflect the society they serve. Work to increase female representation includes better understanding and greater engagement with females, reviewing recruitment processes; and better targeted marketing and communications towards potential female applicants.The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has also undertaken a number of actions aimed at increasing gender equality within the Armed Forces. This includes incorporating gender issues into relevant Armed Forces doctrine and pre-deployment training. The Armed Forces undertake mandatory diversity and inclusion training on entry into service and every two years. Equality and diversity advisors are also embedded within each unit. Each service has a senior gender advocate and a servicewomen's network to improve access and opportunities for women.For civil servants the MOD contributes to and fully supports the Civil Service schemes 'Crossing Thresholds' and 'Positive Action Pathway', both of which either fully or in part seek to promote gender equality in career development. Since 2016, 57 women from MOD have participated in Crossing Thresholds; and 178 civilians (BAME, Women, Disabled and LGBT) have taken part in Positive Action Pathway.

Army Foundation College: Health Services

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many medical appointments by type of appointment were made by Junior Soldiers at AFC Harrogate medical facilities in each of the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Information on medical appointments at Army Foundation College Harrogate is not held in the format requested.

Armed Forces and Veterans: Mental Health Services

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) veterans and (b) serving armed forces personnel that enlisted aged 18 or under have sought mental health support in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold information on the number of veterans who were diagnosed with a mental disorder after leaving Service. The number of serving UK Armed Forces personnel, who enlisted aged 18 or under, and had an initial assessment at MOD Specialist Mental Health Services is provided in the following table. Figures include only those patients referred to a MOD Department of Community Mental Health or admitted to a MOD in-patient provider. Some patients can be treated wholly within the primary care setting by their GP or medical officer and are not captured in MOD management information.UK Armed Forces personnel, who enlisted aged 18 years or under, with an initial assessment at MOD Specialist Mental Health Services, by Financial Year Financial YearNumbers2008-092,0602009-102,3702010-112,3702011-122,2002012-132,6602013-142,5202014-152,4002015-162,4602016-172,3202017-182,240 Notes:  1. Patients may not have been aged 18 or under when they were assessed at MOD Specialist Mental Health Services.2. Some patients seen at MOD Specialist Mental Health Services may have been assessed as having no mental disorder present.3. Numbers are rounded

Veterans: Lifelong Education

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans that joined the armed forces aged (a) 18 or under and (b) 19 or older have applied for Enhanced Learning Credits in each region in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: This information is not held in the format requested.

Army Foundation College: Discipline

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has undertaken a review of the disciplinary policy at AFC Harrogate.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has sought the views of (a) current junior soldiers and (b) former junior soldiers on the disciplinary policy at AFC Harrogate in the last 10 years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations his Department has received from (a) current junior soldiers and (b) former junior soldiers on the disciplinary policy at AFC Harrogate in the last 10 years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the disciplinary policy of AFC Harrogate.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Army disciplinary policy is set out within the Queen’s Regulations and Army General and Administrative Instructions 62 (Discipline Policy) and 67 (Administrative Policy). These are kept under constant review and routinely updated. There is no bespoke discipline policy for Junior Soldiers at Army Foundation College (AFC), Harrogate.

Army Foundation College: Disciplinary Proceedings

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Junior Soldiers have been subject to the disciplinary procedure at AFC Harrogate in each of the last 10 years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many junior soldiers have appealed against a decision of the disciplinary procedure at AFC Harrogate in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The table below shows the number of Junior Soldiers subject to disciplinary procedures while at Army Foundation College (AFC), Harrogate in each of the last ten years. There have been less than five appeals against the associated disciplinary procedure decisions over this period.  YearNumber of Junior Soldiers subject to disciplinary procedures2008210200912020101602011290201224020131402014160201521020161502017120 Notes:These figures are single service estimates and are not official statistics produced by Defence Statistics.Figures have been rounded to 10 to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality; numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not appear to be the sum of their parts.Appeal figures of less than five are not provided due to data protection.In a small number of cases, a single soldier may have been subject to multiple disciplinary procedures for different issues.

Army Foundation College: Mental Health Services

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department provides for junior soldiers at AFC Harrogate with mental health problems.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether AFC Harrogate has internal mental health support workers for junior soldiers.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate training staff provide the first line level of support to Junior Soldiers experiencing mental health problems. They are specifically trained for their appointment to pro-actively identify recruits who may be struggling and/or experiencing problems with adapting to military life. Mental resilience training is also provided to all Junior Soldiers in the early stages of the course covering areas such as coping mechanisms, decision making and effective communication. This is reinforced through training activities including in Leadership and Initiative training, Adventurous Training and field exercises.AFC Harrogate has a well-resourced medical and welfare department. This includes a civilian Behavioural Development Officer, who is an expert in cognitive behavioural studies and counselling, specialising in the military environment. This officer provides advice and guidance to staff on how best to manage referred Junior Soldiers. There are also military and civilian medical and welfare staff, two Padres and access to representatives from the Army Welfare Service (who also draw on support from wider public sector and charity support services).In addition, in February 2018, the Secretary of State announced a new MOD-funded 24/7 Military Mental Health Helpline to provide support and advice to all serving personnel and their families.

Army Foundation College: Crime

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many junior soldiers were (a) arrested by civilian police and (b) charged with a criminal offence during their time at AFC Harrogate in each of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of serving soldiers that trained at (a) AFC Harrogate, (b) ITC Catterick, and (c) ATC Pirbright were arrested by the civilian police during each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: From January 2013 to December 2017, less than five instances of Junior Soldiers being charged with a criminal offence during their time at Army Foundation College Harrogate are recorded on the Defence Joint Personnel Administration system. This figure is not broken down by year due to data protection. Information on arrests by civilian police is not held centrally in the format requested.

Department for Work and Pensions

Unemployment: Young People

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the level of youth unemployment was in (a) May 2010 and (b) May 2018.

Alok Sharma: The level of unemployment for people aged 16-24 in the quarter March-May 2010 was 939,000. This contrasts with the quarter March-May 2018 where the corresponding figure was 524,000. In the most recent data (June-August 2018) shows that youth unemployment is at a record low of 464,000 – down by over 50% (475,000) since the 2010 election. These statistics are from the ONS Labour Force Survey and the data is collected quarterly, so the data for May alone is not held. As with all survey data, the statistics are subject to a degree of uncertainty.

Unemployment

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the level of unemployment was in (a) May 2010 and (b) May 2018.

Alok Sharma: The level of unemployment in the quarter March-May 2010 was 2,508,000. This contrasts with the quarter March-May 2018 where the figure was 1,411,000 which was a decrease of over 40%. These statistics are from the ONS Labour Force Survey and the data is collected quarterly, so the data for May alone is not held. As with all survey data, the statistics are subject to a degree of uncertainty.

Unemployment: Suffolk

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the level of youth unemployment was in Suffolk in (a) May 2010 and (b) May 2018.

Alok Sharma: Labour market data at a local level is collected using the ONS Annual Population Survey. Statistics on youth unemployment for Suffolk are unavailable or unreliable due to small sample sizes. Youth unemployment in the East of England was 199,000 in the quarter March-May 2010, compared to 111,000 in the quarter March-May 2018. This was a decrease by over 40%.

Unemployment: Suffolk

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the level of unemployment was in Suffolk in (a) May 2010 and (b) May 2018.

Alok Sharma: The level of unemployment in Suffolk for the year July 2009-June 2010 was 24,100, while for the year July 2017-June 2018 it was 13,600. This was a decrease of over 40%. The data is collated annually so data for May alone is not held. The data is from the ONS: Annual Population Survey. The sample sizes for this data are very small and so there is uncertainty around the reliability and accuracy of the Suffolk county data.

Universal Credit

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what definition of vulnerability her Department plans to use for claimants that will be transfer to universal credit under managed migration.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what procedures her Department has put in place to identify people that are classified as (a) vulnerable and (b) having complex needs in relation to the managed migration of claimants onto universal credit.

Alok Sharma: To ensure that legacy claimants move safely onto Universal Credit, we are working closely with our stakeholders to design how we identify and support those claimants who will need extra help with the managed migration process. Managed migration will begin in July 2019 with a period of careful and robust testing at small scale to enable us to optimise our delivery approach for all claimants.

Universal Credit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how his Department's arrangement with Citizens Advice to provide universal credit support to claimants will operate in (a) constituencies and (b) local authority areas that do not have a Citizens Advice bureau.

Alok Sharma: Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have committed to providing coverage across England, Wales and Scotland

Universal Credit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2018 to Question 182759 on Universal Credit: Wolverhampton North East, what estimate he has made of the cost of recording the postcode of applicants for universal credit advance payments (a) by telephone, (b) in person and (c) online.

Alok Sharma: Postcode information for Universal Credit claimants is collected as part of the process of making their Universal Credit claim. However, postcode information for advances requested in person or by telephone is not available as only advances which are paid are recorded. For these awarded advances the postcode information is available. For advances requested online, this information is recorded but is not yet available as the Department is currently quality assuring the data.

Veterans: Unemployment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many veterans that joined the armed forces aged (a) 18 or under and (b) 19 or older have registered at Jobcentres in each region in each of the last 10 years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many veterans that joined the armed forces aged (a) 18 or under and (b) 19 or older have applied for Jobseeker’s Allowance in each of the last 10 years.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. We have a network of Armed Forces Champions in each Jobcentre Plus district who support work coaches in understanding the range of support available to service leavers and ensure they are actively signposted to appropriate organisations. Our National Employer and Partnership Team also work with national employer and partner organisations to help ex-HM armed forces service leavers into employment. In addition, HM armed forces personnel are also one of the specified priority groups for the Work and Health Programme. This allows for early voluntary entry to the programme at the most appropriate time in their claim for those who would benefit from specialist employment support to find work.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis: Testing

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) holdings were tested for bovine tuberculosis, (b) animals were tested in each of those holdings and (c) of those animals tested positive using the interferon gamma test in each county of England in 2017.

George Eustice: The total number of bovine tuberculosis skin tests and animals skin tested by county in 2017 can be found in the statistical datasets published in the National bTB Statistics on GOV.UK and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/tuberculosis-tb-in-cattle-in-great-britain The table below lists a) number of holdings gamma tested per county, b) number of gamma samples by county and c) gamma positive cattle per county in 2017.  English countiesa) Number of holdings gamma tested per countyb) Number of gamma samples by countyc) Gamma-positives per county  Northern Somerset & South Gloucestershire (AVON)528733Cornwall (and Isles of Scilly)82588295Devon236384673Dorset176080533Gloucestershire758558Herefordshire329044Shropshire300Staffordshire258720Somerset excl North131793156Wiltshire54018Worcestershire11262West Midlands21296Berkshire224149215Buckinghamshire123619153Hampshire12132642Leicestershire and Rutland233414188Northamptonshire778431Nottinghamshire1122044Cheshire8925534939Derbyshire467464East Sussex665411Oxfordshire4817184805Warwickshire133060107Bedfordshire369647Cambridgeshire1711Cumbria146718203Durham134714Essex34308Greater London and Greater London East000Greater Manchester21801Hertfordshire19416Isle of Wight173170Kent000Lancashire4324460Lincolnshire133216Merseyside2449Northumberland (and Tyne and Wear)000Norfolk22098Surrey237012Suffolk127625West Sussex42695125Yorkshire (and Cleveland)373742

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

David Rutley: Defra, along with other Departments, publishes spend over £25,000 on a monthly basis as part of its transparency data routine publication which is accessible here: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/91072f06-093a-41a2-b8b5-6f120ceafd62/spend-over-25-000-in-the-department-for-environment-food-and-rural-affairs

Agriculture Bill 2017-19: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland civil service on the (a) parliamentary timetable for the Agriculture Bill and (b) potential effect of its provisions on Northern Ireland.

George Eustice: There have been three Defra and devolved administration ministerial meetings in the past six months with a Senior Civil Servant from Northern Ireland in attendance. There have been twenty official-level meetings between Defra and all of the devolved administrations prior to the introduction of the Bill to discuss draft provisions and joint working. Since the introduction of the Bill, official-level meetings have continued on a regular basis with weekly contact between Defra and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to discuss both the timetable for the Agriculture Bill and the potential effect of its provisions on Northern Ireland. We have been working constructively with officials in DAERA to discuss provisions for Northern Ireland in the Agriculture Bill. Agriculture policy is devolved and it will be for a future Northern Ireland Executive to determine its own policy. However in the absence of an Assembly, Northern Ireland officials’ approach to the Bill is to ensure that the status quo can continue and that future Executive Ministers have the flexibility to develop future policy.

Solid Fuels: Heating

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Irish Government on (i) their experience of bringing forward policies on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood and (ii) the UK Government's consultation on similar proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Earlier this year, my Department set out our proposals to reduce the emissions of harmful particulate matter from the domestic burning of solid fuels, the largest source in the UK. The Irish Government has enacted similar proposals to ours; namely the phasing out of house coal for use in domestic properties in favour of cleaner manufactured solid fuel, often known as “smokeless coal”. They have not introduced restrictions on wet wood, as we are proposing. Officials from my Department have met officials from the Irish Government on a number of occasions to learn from their experiences in this area, including in person at a meeting in Dublin, via telephone meetings and at other international meetings at which both UK and Irish officials have been present. I have spoken briefly to former Minister Naughten in the fringes of a European Council on the policy in Ireland. There have been no formal meetings on this issue. The Irish Government’s policies to restrict smoky coal have resulted in a significant decrease in particulate matter in Dublin, and other cities throughout Ireland.

Partridges and Pheasants

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) pheasants and (b) partridges were kept in raised laying cages for the breeding of game birds for sporting purposes in England and Wales in each of the last 5 years.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of (i) pheasants and (ii) partridges kept in raised laying cages by the Bettws Hall Game Farm for the breeding of game birds for sporting purposes in each of the last five years.

David Rutley: The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) does not hold information on pheasants and partridges kept in raised laying cages for the breeding of game birds for sporting purposes in England and Wales. APHA does not hold this information for Bettws Hall Game Farm. APHA does not maintain year on year statistics for game farms. APHA only takes a register of the number of birds usually kept on a holding, which is supplied at the time of registration by the owner/keeper of the birds.

Game

Victoria Prentis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will provide guidance on the Government buying standards for food and catering services on sourcing game meat.

David Rutley: The Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF) covers the categories of food typically served in public sector establishments. The Standards require that all UK legislative standards of production are met which, for meat and meat products, includes traceability, authenticity and animal welfare. These standards also apply to farmed game animals.A complimentary tool to the GBSF is the Balanced Scorecard, which helps to evaluate the value of contract bids for bid and services. This tool references Statutory Management Requirements for wild birds.In addition, the Food Standards Agency also provides a Meat Industry Guide and Wild Game guidance which set out comprehensive guidance on meeting legislative standards for meat production and hygiene regulations for supplying game for human consumption.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on five year sentences for animal cruelty.

David Rutley: The Government has announced that it intends to increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty from 6 months’ imprisonment to 5 years’ imprisonment. The legislation needed to make this change will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Treasury

Non-domestic Rates

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the new business rates relief announced in Budget 2018 on local authority finances.

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether local authorities that see a reduction in funding as a result of the change to business rates will receive additional funding from central Government.

Elizabeth Truss: The Budget confirmed that local government will be fully compensated for the loss of income that results from changes to business rates announced in the Budget.

Public Sector: Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2018 to Question 184429 on Public Sector: Pensions, whether the effect on budges of the previously envisaged cost was communicated to police forces in advance of the Written Statement of 6 September 2018 on quadrennial valuations of the public service pension schemes.

Elizabeth Truss: Budget 2016 identified expected pressures on employer contributions to public service pensions of £2 billion. The Home Office communicated with the National Police Chiefs Council on the issue shortly after Budget 2016, explaining the need to consider the matter within the wider context of the imminent scheme valuation. The scheme valuation, carried out by the Government Actuary’s Department, is ongoing. Budget 2018 confirmed additional funding for expected costs in excess of the level envisaged at Budget 2016. Government will review police spending power and further options for reform at the provisional police funding settlement in December.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Finance

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made in assessing the business case submitted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for additional resources required for preparations for the UK leaving the EU; and if he will make a statement on the timescale for his Department making a final decision on that matter.

Elizabeth Truss: As the Chancellor announced at Budget 2018, an additional £500 million will be made available to allow departments and the devolved administrations to continue to prepare for EU exit, taking the total for 2019/20 to £2 billion. As a result of this announcement, the Treasury will have invested over £4 billion in EU exit since 2016. We are working to assess the resource requirements of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to prepare for the UK leaving the EU. Allocations from the £2 billion to departments and the devolved administrations will be announced in due course.

Hospices: VAT Zero Rating

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that hospices throughout the UK will be zero rated from VAT after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mel Stride: Charities providing palliative care, such as hospices, are already able to fully recover their input VAT under Section 33C and Section 33D of the 1994 VAT Act. This means that VAT is not a burden on those hospices. VAT incurred by NHS Palliative care organisations is funded by the government through existing budgets.

Sanitary Protection: Taxation

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the level of taxation on sanitary items in countries outside the EU.

Mel Stride: The Government has not made an assessment of the level of taxation on sanitary items in countries outside the EU. We are committed to introducing a zero rate of VAT for these supplies as soon as legally possible.

National Insurance Credits

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has taken steps to help parents who have not claimed child benefit and as a result unintentionally missed years of accruing national insurance state pension credits.

Mel Stride: I refer the honourable member to my response to Parliamentary Question (179286) on 23 October 2018.

VAT: Repayments

Laura Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of levels of performance in processing and paying VAT refunds.

Mel Stride: HMRC continually monitors its performance for processing and making VAT repayment returns (refunds). It processes around 2 million repayment returns annually. Over 90% of all repayments are authorised within 10 working days of receipt. As part of its responsibilities for the care and management of the VAT system, HMRC is required to make reasonable enquiries prior to making a repayment to prevent VAT fraud, which is damaging to the UK economy. It gives high priority to checking repayment returns as it is aware of the importance of cash-flow to smaller businesses. In circumstances where HMRC takes over 30 days to process a repayment return, a Repayment Supplement is paid. Repayment Supplement is due on less than 1% of repayments received.

VAT: Repayments

Laura Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the new online service for VAT refunds on the time it takes to process and pay VAT refunds.

Mel Stride: Making Tax Digital should not have an impact on the VAT refunds process nor on paying VAT refunds.

Minimum Wage: Work Experience

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many successful prosecutions have been made against employers for failing to pay that national minimum wage for intern roles since November 2017; and which employees were subject to such successful prosecutions.

Mel Stride: The government is determined to ensure that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have not been paid the NMW should contact Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or via the online complaints form at gov.uk. HMRC reviews all complaints that are referred to them. Most NMW cases are subject to civil (non-criminal) sanctions, the consequences of which include fines of up to 200% of the determined underpayment, and public naming. Prosecution is reserved for the most serious non-compliance, and since 2007 HMRC investigations have led to the successful prosecution of 14 UK employers for NMW related offences. There have been no prosecutions relating to interns.